From a distance, the long and skinny shape of the Solar Impulse (HB-SIA) could almost be mistaken for a UFO, a dinosaur bird, or maybe a hopped up paper airplane. Closer observation would reveal a solar powered flying machine!
This spring the Solar Impulse team kicked off a mission to fly "more than 1,500 mi (2,500 km) without using one drop of fuel." Pilot Andre Borschberg flew the first leg of the journey, and marked history for the first transcontinential flight from Payerne, Switzerland to Madrid, Spain. The plane made excellent time and rather than circle the airport for two hours in high turbulence, was able to land at 01:28AM, on May 26, 2012. On June 5, 2012, Bertrand Piccard and the HB-SIA completed the world's first intercontinental flight, a 19-hour voyage from Madrid to Rabat, Morocco, directly over the Straight of Gilbrater. The plane was met by the ground crew of the Solar Impulse, journalists and representatives of the Morrocan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN), who were celebrating the construction kick-off of the world's largest solar-thermal power plant.
The plane requires 12,000 solar cells to power the four electric motors that allow it to stay aloft. The cruising speed of 44 MPH may be a little slow compared to fossil-fuel powered commercial craft, but the plane represents a huge step into the future. The HB-SIA flies on direct solar power during daylight hours, and when there is energy in excess, it is stored in one of four batteries on board, allowing the plane to reliably travel under both daylight and nighttime conditions. This fantastic design allows the Team to prepare for their 2014 mission... fly around the world on solar power alone.
I welcome the Solar Impulse and watch for more news!
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The YouTube video Solar plane's first international flight is worth watching. I personally, like making the comparison with its 2001 unmanned predicessor, the Helios. (Check out the flapping effect of the Helios in turbulance - it starts at minute 1:43 on the YouTube video).
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